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Part of the series on Japanese Mythology & Folklore

Mythic Texts and Folktales: Kojiki | Nihon Shoki | Kujiki Otogizōshi | Oiwa | Okiku | Urashima Tarō Konjaku Monogatari Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... Japanese folklore is the folklore of Japan. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Amaterasu_cave_wide. ... For other uses, see Mythology (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Kojiki or Furukotofumi (古事記), also known in English as the Records of Ancient Matters, is the oldest surviving historical book recounting events of ancient earth in the Japanese language. ... Nihonshoki (日本書紀) is the second oldest history book about the ancient history of Japan. ... Kujiki ), or Sendai Kuji Hongi ), is an ancient Japanese historical text. ... Illustration from otogizōshi tale, published c. ... Yotsuya Kaidan (四つ谷怪談) is a Japanese ghost story. ... Yoshitoshi Tsukiokas portrait of Okiku. ... Urashima Tarō ) is a Japanese fairy tale about a fisherman who rescues a turtle and is rewarded with a visit to the RyÅ«gÅ«-jō, the Dragon Palace. ... Konjaku Monogatarishū (今昔物語集, kon present + jaku past + monogatari tale + shū collection) is a Japanese collection of over one thousand tales written during the late Heian Period (794-1192). ...

Divinities Izanami | Izanagi | Amaterasu Susanoo | Ama-no-Uzume | Inari Kami | Seven Lucky Gods | List of divinities Look up deity in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... In Japanese mythology, Izanami (Katakana: イザナミ; Kanji: 伊弉冉尊 or 伊邪那美命, meaning She who invites) is a goddess of both creation and death, as well as the former wife of the god Izanagi. ... 天瓊を以て滄海を探るの図. Painting by Eitaku Kobayashi (Meiji period). ... The Sun goddess emerging out of a cave, bringing sunlight back to the universe. ... Susanoo, (Japanese: 須佐之男命, Susa-no-O-no-Mikoto; also romanized as Susanoo, Susa-no-O, and Susanowo) in Shinto is the god of the sea and storms. ... Categories: Stub | Japanese goddesses ... Inari and her fox spirits help the blacksmith Munechika forge the blade ko-kitsune-maru (Little Fox) in the late 10th century. ... “Megami” redirects here. ... The seven fortune gods (七福神, shichi fukujin) in Japan refer to the seven gods of good fortune in Japanese folklore: ; . They are often the subject of netsuke carvings and other representations. ... This is a list of divinities native to Japanese beliefs and religious traditions. ...

Legendary Creatures & Spirits Oni | Kappa | Tengu | Fox | Yōkai Dragon | Yūrei | List of creatures A legendary creature is a mythological or folkloric creature (often known as fabulous creatures in historical literature). ... For other uses, see Ghost (disambiguation). ... This article is about the creatures of Japanese folklore. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Tengu and a Buddhist monk, by Kawanabe Kyōsai. ... Prince Hanzoku terrorized by a nine-tailed fox. ... ukiyo-e print of yōkai, by Aotoshi Matsui Yōkai apparitions, spirits, or demons, also romanized youkai, or yokai) are a class of obake, creatures in Japanese folklore (many with Chinese origins) ranging from the evil oni to the mischievous kitsune or snow woman Yuki-onna. ... Japanese Dragon water fountain in Fujiyoshida. ... YÅ«rei (幽霊) are Japanese ghosts. ... The following is a list of RyÅ« (dragons), Yōkai, Obake and YÅ«rei which are notable in Japanese mythology and folklore. ...

Legendary Figures Abe no Seimei | Benkei | Kintarō Momotarō | Tamamo-no-Mae | Sōjōbō For other uses, see Legend (disambiguation). ... Abe no Seimei ) (921?-1005?) was an onmyoji, a leading specialist of onmyodo during the middle of the Heian Period in Japan. ... Benkei as portrayed in Kabuki plays. ... This article is about the Japanese folklore hero; for the Mortal Kombat character, see Kintaro (Mortal Kombat character). ... Bisque doll of Momotarō Momotarō (桃太郎) is a hero from Japanese folklore. ... Tamamo-no-Mae (玉藻前) is a legendary figure in Japanese mythology. ... Sōjōbō is the mythical king of the tengu, minor deities who inhabit the mountains of forests of Japan. ...

Mythical & Sacred Locations Mt. Hiei | Mt. Fuji | Izumo | Ryūgū-jō | Takamagahara | Yomi | Jigoku A mythical place is a place that does not really exist but is accepted folklore or speculation that it might exist or might have existed in earlier times but its actual location is now lost. ... SACRED SACRED was a Cubesat built by the Student Satellite Program of the University of Arizona. ... Mount Hiei (Jp. ... Mount Fuji Mount Fuji , IPA: )  , is the highest mountain in Japan at 3,776 m (12,388 ft). ... Izumo (Japanese: 出雲国; Izumo no kuni) was an old province of Japan which today consists of the eastern part of Shimane prefecture in the Chugoku region. ... In Japanese mythology, RyÅ«gÅ«-jō (竜宮城) is the undersea palace of RyÅ«jin, the dragon god of the sea. ... Takama-ga-hara (Japanese: 高天原), or The High Plain of Heaven, is a place in Japanese mythology. ... This article is about the location in japanese mythology. ... Diyu (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Ti-yü; Japanese: 地獄, jigoku, literally earth prison) is the realm of the dead or hell in Chinese mythology. ...

Sacred Objects Amenonuhoko | Kusanagi | Tonbogiri Three Sacred Treasures The following is a list of sacred objects in Japanese mythology. ... Ame-no-nuboko ) is the name given to the naginata in Japanese mythology used to raise the primordial land-mass, Onōgoro-shima, from the sea. ... For other uses, see Kusanagi (disambiguation). ... The Tonbogiri ) is one of three legendary spears created by the famed swordsmith Masamune, said to be wielded by the daimyo Honda Tadakatsu. ... The Imperial Regalia of Japan ), also known as the Three Sacred Treasures, consist of the sword, Kusanagi (草薙劍), the jewel or necklace of jewels, Yasakani no magatama (八尺瓊曲玉), and the mirror Yata no kagami (八咫鏡). Also known as the Three Sacred Treasures of Japan, the regalia represent the three primary virtues: valor (the...

Shinto & Buddhism Bon Festival | Setsubun | Ema | Torii Shinto shrines | Buddhist temples Shinto ) is the native religion of Japan and was once its state religion. ... The Buddha in Kamakura (1252). ... Illuminated by the Albuquerque Bridge, Japanese volunteers place candle lit lanterns into the Sasebo River during the Obon festival. ... Setsubun, Tokuan shrine In Japan, Setsubun (節分) is the day before the beginning of each season. ... Ema at Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine in Kamakura. ... A famous floating torii at Itsukushima Shrine Multiple torii at Fushimi Inari-taisha, Kyoto Torii are widespread in Japan, to the extent that modern architecture sometimes emulates their form, such as at Kanazawa Station. ... A torii is a gate leading to a jinja. ... Buddhist temples in Japan are varied, yet there are certain generalizations that can be made, and general rules or guidelines that are followed. ...

Folklorists Kunio Yanagita, Keigo Seki, Lafcadio Hearn, Shigeru Mizuki, Inoue Enryo Folkloristics is the formal academic study of folklore such as fairy tales and folk mythology in oral or non-literary traditions. ... Yanagita Kunio (柳田 国男 July 31, 1875 - August 8, 1962) is a scholar who is often known as a father of Japanese ethnology. ... Seki Keigo (関敬吾 1899 - 1990) was a Japanese folklorist. ... Lafcadio Hearn, aka Koizumi Yakumo. ... Shigeru Mizuki Shigeru Mizuki ), born March 8, 1922 in Sakaiminato, Tottori) is a Japanese manga author, most known for his shonen Japanese horror manga Ge Ge Ge no Kitaro. ... Inoue Enryo (井上円了, March 18, 1858 - June 6, 1919), founder of Toyo University (東洋大学), was a Japanese educator, philosopher and Buddhist. ...

Japanese mythology is a very complex system of beliefs that embraces Shinto and Buddhist traditions as well as agriculture-based folk religion.The Shinto pantheon alone consists of an uncountable number of kami (Japanese for "gods" or "spirits"). This article will discuss only the typical elements present in Occidental mythology such as cosmogony, important deities and the most well-known Japanese stories. Shinto ) is the native religion of Japan and was once its state religion. ... A replica of an ancient statue found among the ruins of a temple at Sarnath Buddhism is a philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, a prince of the Shakyas, whose lifetime is traditionally given as 566 to 486 BCE. It had subsequently been accepted by... Folk religion consists of beliefs, superstitions and rituals transmitted from generation to generation of a specific culture. ... A pantheon (from Greek Πάνθειον, temple of all gods, from πᾶν, all + θεός, god) is a set of all the gods of a particular religion or mythology, such as the gods of Hinduism, Norse, Egyptian, Shintoism, Greek, vodun, Yoruba Mythology and Roman mythology. ... “Megami” redirects here. ... Look up deity in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The English word spirit comes from the Latin spiritus (breath). // The English word spirit comes from the Latin spiritus, meaning breath (compare spiritus asper), but also soul, courage, vigor, ultimately from a PIE root *(s)peis- (to blow). In the Vulgate, the Latin word translates Greek (πνευμα), pneuma (Hebrew (רוח) ruah), as... For other uses, see Mythology (disambiguation). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Mainstream Japanese myths, as generally recognized today, are based on the Kojiki, Nihonshoki and some complementary books. The Kojiki or "Record of Ancient Things" is the oldest recognized book of myths, legends, and history of Japan. The Shintoshu explains origins of Japanese deities from a Buddhist perspective while the Hotsuma Tsutae records a substantially different version of mythology. Kojiki or Furukotofumi (古事記), also known in English as the Records of Ancient Matters, is the oldest surviving historical book recounting events of ancient earth in the Japanese language. ... Nihonshoki (Japanese: 日本書紀), sometimes translated as Chronicles of Japan, is the second oldest book of classical Japanese history. ... A Japanese mythological book reguarding native myths and legends, from a Buddhist perspective. ... A statue of the Sakyamuni Buddha in Tawang Gompa, India. ... The Hotsuma Tsutae (also Hotuma Tsutaye or Hotuma Tsutahe, Japanese:秀真伝) is an elaborate epic of Japanese mythical history whose description is substantially different from the mainstream version as recorded in the Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki or Nihongi. ...

One notable result of Japanese mythology is that it explains the origin of the Imperial family, and assigned them godhood. The Japanese word for the Emperor of Japan, tennō (天皇), means "heavenly emperor". For the CPR ocean liner, see Empress of Japan. ... An emperorrefers to Nick Herringshaw, a title, empress may only indicate the wife of an emperor (empress consort. ...

Spelling of proper nouns

Many deities appear in Japanese mythology, and many of them have multiple aliases. Furthermore, some of their names are comparatively long. This article therefore lists only the most prominent names, and gives them in one of their abbreviated forms, other abbreviated forms are also in use.

(For instance, Ninigi, or Ame-Nigishikuni-Nigishiamatsuhiko-Hikono-no-Ninigi-no-Mikoto in full, may also be abbreviated as Hikoho-no-Ninigi or Hono-Ninigi.)

In some parts of this article, proper names are written in a historical manner. In this article, underlined h, y, and w denote silent letters; they are omitted from modern spelling. Other syllables are modernized as follows (see also Japanese romanization systems). Note that some blend of these conventions is also often used. Languages can be romanized in a variety of ways, as shown here with Mandarin Chinese In linguistics, romanization (or Latinization, also spelled romanisation or Latinisation) is the representation of a word or language with the Roman (Latin) alphabet, or a system for doing so, where the original word or language...

• hu is modernized as fu.
• zi and di are modernized as ji. (distinction disappeared)
• oo is modernized as o or oh.

For instance, various spellings of Ohonamuji include Oonamuji, Ohnamuji, and others.

k, s, t, and h can be changed to,g, z, d, and b by adding either two small lines or a tiny circle above theseapansese characters.

List of Japanese Characters: "S" "T" "K" "H" sa ta ka ha shi chi ki hi su tsu ku hu/fu se te ke he so to ko ho

Creation

The first gods summoned two divine beings into existence, the male Izanagi and the female Izanami, and charged them with creating the first land. To help them do this, Izanagi and Izanami were given a halberd decorated with jewels, named Amanonuhoko (Heavenly Halberd of the Marsh). The two deities then went to the bridge between heaven and earth, Amenoukihashi (Floating Bridge of Heaven) and churned the sea below with the halberd. When drops of salty water fell from the halberd, they formed into the island Onogoro (self-forming). They descended from the bridge of heaven and made their home on the island. Eventually they wished to mate, so they built a pillar called Amenomihashira around which they built a palace called Yahirodono (the hall whose area is 8 arms' length squared). Izanagi and Izanami circled the pillar in opposite directions, and when they met on the other side Izanami, the female deity, spoke first in greeting. Izanagi didn't think that this was proper, but they mated anyway. They had two children, Hiruko (watery child) and Awashima (pale island) but they were badly-formed and are not considered deities. 天瓊を以て滄海を探るの図. Painting by Eitaku Kobayashi (Meiji period). ... In Japanese mythology, Izanami (Katakana: イザナミ; Kanji: 伊弉冉尊 or 伊邪那美命, meaning She who invites) is a goddess of both creation and death, as well as the former wife of the god Izanagi. ... This article or section cites very few or no references or sources. ... Yebisu (恵比須, 恵比寿, 夷, 戎, 蛭子) is also called Ebisu, Hiruko (蛭子), and Kotoshiro-nushi-no-kami (事代主神). He is the Japanese god of fishermen and good fortune. ...

They put the children into a boat and set them out to sea, and then petitioned the other gods for an answer as to what they had done wrong. They were told that the male deity should have spoken first in greeting during the ceremony. So Izanagi and Izanami went around the pillar again, and this time when they met Izanagi spoke first and their union was successful.

From their union were born the Ōyashima, or the eight great islands of Japan: Image File history File links Size of this preview: 776 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (880 × 680 pixels, file size: 59 KB, MIME type: image/png) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ...

• Awaji
• Iyo (later Shikoku)
• Oki
• Tsukushi (later Kyūshū)
• Iki
• Tsushima
• Sado
• Yamato (later Honshū)

Note that Hokkaidō, Chishima, and Okinawa were not part of Japan in ancient times.

They bore six more islands and many deities. Izanami, however, died giving birth to the child Kagututi (incarnation of fire) or Ho-Masubi (causer of fire). She was then buried on Mt. Hiba, at the border of the old provinces of Izumo and Hoki, near modern-day Yasugi of Shimane Prefecture. In anger, Izanagi killed Kagututi. His death also created dozens of deities. Awaji Island (Jp. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... This article is about the island. ... Oki (隠岐国; -no kuni) was an old province of Japan which consisted of Oki Islands in the Sea of Japan, located off the coast of Izumo and Hoki provinces. ... Tsukushi refers to either: former Chikuzen and Chikugo provinces of Japan whole Kyushu island of Japan (archaic) ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The article incorporates text from OpenHistory. ... Tsushima is a name related to Japan. ... Sado can refer to: Sado, a city in Niigata Prefecture, Japan Sado province (佐渡国), an old province of Japan. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...   literally North Sea Circuit, Ainu: Mosir), formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japans second largest island and the largest of its 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. ... The Kuril Islands The Kuril Islands (Russian: Кури́льские острова́), also known as Kurile Islands, stretch northeast from Hokkaido, Japan, to Kamchatka, separating the Sea of Okhotsk from the North Pacific Ocean. ... This article is about the prefecture. ... Before the modern prefecture system was established, the land of Japan was divided into tens of Kuni (国, Countries). ... Izumo can refer to: Izumo, Shimane, a city in Japan. ... Hoki (Macruronus novaezelandiae, also known as Blue Grenadier, Blue Hake, New Zealand Whip-tail) is a species of fish, living in temperate marine waters of Australia and New Zealand. ... Yasugi (安来市; -shi) is a city located in Shimane, Japan. ... Shimane Prefecture ) is located in the Chugoku region on Honshu island, Japan. ...

The gods borne from Izanagi and Izanami are symbolic of important aspects of nature and culture, but they are too many to mention here.

Yomi, the shadowy land of the dead

Izanagi lamented the death of Izanami and undertook a journey to Yomi or "the shadowy land of the dead." Izanagi found little difference between Yomi and the land above, except for the eternal darkness. However, this suffocating darkness was enough to make him ache for the light and life above. Quickly, he searched for Izanami and found her. At first, Izanagi could not see her at all for the shadows hid her appearance well. Nevertheless, he asked her to return with him. Izanami spat out at him, informing Izanagi that he was too late. She had already eaten the food of the underworld and was now one with the land of the dead. She could no longer return to the surface with the living. This article is about the location in japanese mythology. ...

Izanagi was shocked at this news but he refused to give in to her wishes of being left to the dark embrace of Yomi. Izanami agreed to go back to the world above but first requested to have some time to rest and instructed Izanagi not to come into her bedroom. After a long wait, Izanami did not come out of her bedroom and Izanagi was worried. While Izanami was sleeping, he took the comb that bound his long hair and set it alight as a torch. Under the sudden burst of light, he saw the horrid form of the once beautiful and graceful Izanami. She was now a rotting form of flesh with maggots and foul creatures running over her ravaged body.

Crying out loud, Izanagi could no longer control his fear and started to run, intending to return to the living and abandon his death-ridden wife. Izanami woke up shrieking and indignant and chased after him. Wild shikome or foul women also hunted for the frightened Izanagi, instructed by Izanami to bring him back.

Izanagi, thinking quickly, hurled down his headdress which became a bunch of black grapes. The shikome fell on these but continued pursuit. Next, Izanagi threw down his comb which became a clump of bamboo shoots. Now it was Yomi's creatures that began to give chase, but Izanagi urinated against a tree, creating a great river that increased his lead. Unfortunately, they still pursued Izanagi, forcing him to hurl peaches at them. He knew this would not delay them for long, but he was nearly free, for the boundary of Yomi was now close at hand. Binomial name (L.) Batsch Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. ...

Izanagi burst out of the entrance and quickly pushed a boulder in the mouth of the cavern that was the entrance of Yomi. Izanami screamed from behind this impenetrable barricade and told Izanagi that if he left her she would destroy 1,000 living people every day. He furiously replied he would give life to 1,500.

And so began the existence of Death, caused by the hands of the proud Izanami, the abandoned wife of Izanagi.

Sun, Moon and Sea

As could be expected, Izanagi went on to purify himself after recovering from his descent to Yomi. As he undressed and removed the adornments of his body, each item he dropped to the ground formed a deity. Even more gods came into being when he went to the water to wash himself. The most important ones were created once he washed his face:

• Amaterasu (incarnation of the sun) from his left eye,
• Tsukuyomi (incarnation of the moon) from his right eye, and
• Susanoo (incarnation of storms and ruler of the sea) from his nose.

Izanagi went on to divide the world between them with Amaterasu inheriting the heavens, Tsukuyomi taking control of the night and moon and the storm god Susanoo owning the seas. In some versions of the myth, Susanoo rules not only the seas but also all elements of a storm, including snow and hail. The Sun goddess emerging out of a cave, bringing sunlight back to the universe. ... Tsukuyomi (月読の命 or 月夜見の尊, Tsukuyomi-no-mikoto), also known as Tsukuyomi-no-kami, is a god of uncertain gender (referred to as a male kami here) of the moon in Shinto and Japanese mythology. ... Susanoo, (Japanese: 須佐之男命, Susa-no-O-no-Mikoto; also romanized as Susanoo, Susa-no-O, and Susanowo) in Shinto is the god of the sea and storms. ...

Amaterasu and Susanoo

Amaterasu, the powerful sun goddess of Japan, is the most well-known deity of Japanese mythology. Her feuding with her uncontrollable brother Susanoo, however, is equally infamous and appears in several tales. One story tells of Susanoo's wicked behavior toward Izanagi. Izanagi, tired of Susanoo's repeated complaints, banished him to Yomi. Susanoo grudgingly acquiesced, but had to attend to some unfinished business first. He went to Takamanohara (heaven) to bid farewell to his sister, Amaterasu. Amaterasu knew her unpredictable brother did not have any good intentions in mind and prepared for battle. "For what purpose do you come here?" asked Amaterasu. "To say farewell," answered Susanoo.

But she did not believe him and requested a contest for proof of his good faith. A challenge was set as to who could bring forth more noble and divine children. Amaterasu made three women from Susanoo's sword, while Susanoo made five men from Amaterasu's ornament chain. Amaterasu claimed the title to the five men made from her belongings. Therefore, the three women were attributed to Susanoo.

Torii at Ama-no-Iwato Shrine, Takachiho, Miyazaki Prefecture

Both gods declared themselves to be victorious. Amaterasu's insistence in her claim drove Susanoo to violent campaigns that reached their climax when he hurled a half-flayed pony--an animal sacred to Amaterasu--into Amatarasu's weaving hall, causing the death of one of her attendants. Amaterasu fled and hid in the cave called Iwayado. As the sun goddess disappeared into the cave, darkness covered the world. Ama-no-Iwato torii Ama-no-Uzume Amaterasu Shinto Japanese mythology Takachiho, Miyazaki Kyushu Japan I took this photo in 1995 and contribute it to the public domain. ... Ama-no-Iwato torii Ama-no-Uzume Amaterasu Shinto Japanese mythology Takachiho, Miyazaki Kyushu Japan I took this photo in 1995 and contribute it to the public domain. ... A famous floating torii at Itsukushima Shrine Multiple torii at Fushimi Inari-taisha, Kyoto Torii are widespread in Japan, to the extent that modern architecture sometimes emulates their form, such as at Kanazawa Station. ... Categories: Towns in Miyazaki Prefecture | Japan geography stubs ... Map of Miyazaki Prefecture. ... Michelangelos Last Judgment - Saint Bartholomew holding the knife of his martyrdom and his flayed skin Flaying is the removal of skin from the body. ...

All the gods and goddesses in their turn strove to coax Amaterasu out of the cave, but she ignored them all. Finally, the kami of merriment, Ama-no-Uzume, hatched a plan. She placed a large bronze mirror on a tree, facing Amaterasu's cave. Then Uzume clothed herself in flowers and leaves, overturned a washtub, and began to dance on it, drumming the tub with her feet. Finally, Uzume shed the leaves and flowers and danced naked. All the male gods roared with laughter, and Amaterasu became curious. When she peeked outside from her long stay in the dark, a ray of light called "dawn" escaped and Amaterasu was dazzled by her own reflection in the mirror. The god Ameno-Tajikarawo pulled her from the cave and it was sealed with a holy shirukume rope. Surrounded by merriment, Amaterasu's depression disappeared and she agreed to return her light to the world. Uzume was from then on known as the kami of dawn as well as mirth. “Megami” redirects here. ... Categories: Stub | Japanese goddesses ...

See also: Missing sun motif The missing sun motif is a theme in the myths of various cultures. ...

Susanoo and Orochi

Susanoo, exiled from heaven, came to Izumo Province (now part of Shimane Prefecture). It was not long before he met an old man and his wife sobbing beside their daughter. The old couple explained that they originally had eight daughters who were devoured one-by-one each year by the dragon named Yamata no Orochi ("eight-forked serpent", who was said to originate from Kosi -- now Hokuriku region). The terrible dragon had eight heads and eight tails, stretched over eight hills and was said to have eyes as red as good wine. Kusinada or Kushinada-Hime (rice paddy princess) was the last of the eight daughters. Izumo (Japanese: 出雲国; Izumo no kuni) was an old province of Japan which today consists of the eastern part of Shimane prefecture in the Chugoku region. ... Shimane Prefecture ) is located in the Chugoku region on Honshu island, Japan. ... Susanoo slaying the Yamata no Orochi, by Toyohara Chikanobu “Orochi” redirects here. ... Hokuriku region , literally North Land) (地方 means region, so I would say Northern Region!!)is the region along the Sea of Japan within the Chubu region, the central region of Honshū, the main island of Japan. ...

Susanoo, who knew at once of the old couple's relation to the sun goddess Amaterasu, offered his assistance in return for their beautiful daughter's hand in marriage. The parents accepted and Susanoo transformed Kushinada into a comb and hid her safely in his hair. He also ordered a large fence-like barrier built around the house, eight gates opened in the fence, eight tables placed at each gate, eight casks placed on each table, and the casks filled with eight-times brewed rice wine.

Orochi arrived and found his path blocked and after boasting of his prowess he found that he could not get through the barrier. His keen sense of smell took in the sake - which Orochi loved - and the eight heads had a dilemma. They wanted to drink the delicious sake that called to them, yet the fence stood in their way, blocking any method of reaching it. One head first suggested they simply smash the barrier down...but that would knock over and waste the sake making it all for naught. Another proposed they combine their fiery breath and burn the fence into ash...but then the sake would evaporate. The heads began searching for an opening and found the hatches and eager for the sake, they were keen to poke their heads through to go and drink it. Yet the eighth head, which was the wisest, warned his brethren of the folly of such a thing and volunteered to go through first to make sure all was well. Susanoo waited for his chance, letting the head drink some sake in safety and report back to the others that there was no danger. All eight heads plunged through a hatch each and greedily drank every last drop of the sake in the casks.

As the heads finished, Susanoo launched his attack on Orochi. Drunken from drinking so much sake, the great serpent was no match for the spry Susanoo who decapitated each head in turn and slew Orochi. A nearby river was said to have turned red with the blood of the defeated serpent. As Susanoo cut the dragon into pieces, he found an excellent sword from a tail of the dragon that his sword had been unable to cut. The sword was later presented to Amaterasu and named Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi (later called Kusanagi). This sword was to feature prominently in many other tales. For other uses, see Kusanagi (disambiguation). ...

Prince Ōnamuji

Ōnamuji (also known as Ōkuninushi) was a descendant of Susanoo. He, along with his many brothers, competed for the hand of Princess Yakami of Inaba. While travelling from Izumo to Inaba to court her, the brothers met a skinned rabbit lying on a beach. Seeing this, they told the rabbit to bathe in the sea and dry in the wind at a high mountain. The rabbit believed them and thereby suffered in agony. Ōnamuji, who was lagging behind his brothers, came and saw the rabbit in pain and instructed the rabbit to bathe in fresh water and be covered with powder of the "gama" (cattail) flower. The cured rabbit, who was in reality a deity, informed Ōnamuji it was he who would marry Princess Yakami. Izumo (Japanese: 出雲国; Izumo no kuni) was an old province of Japan which today consists of the eastern part of Shimane prefecture in the Chugoku region. ... Categories: Japan geography stubs | Japan | Old provinces of Japan ...

The trials of Ōnamuji were many and he died twice at the hands of his jealous brothers. Each time he would be saved by his mother Kusanda-hime. Pursued by his enemies, he ventured to Susanoo's realm where he would meet the vengeful god's daughter, Suseri-hime. The crafty Susanoo would test Ōnamuji several times but in the end, Susanoo approved of the young boy and foretold his victory against his brothers.

Although the Yamato tradition attributes the creation of the Japanese islands to Izanagi and Izanami, the Izumo tradition claims Ōnamuji, along with a dwarf god called Sukunabiko, would contribute to or at least finish the creation of the islands of Japan.

Installation (19-20)

Amaterasu ordered her grandson Ninigi to rule over the ground. She gave him the Three Sacred Treasures:

• the magatama necklace of Yasakani no magatama (now situated in the imperial palace);
• the bronze mirror of Yata no kagami (now in the Grand Shrine of Ise); and
• the sword Kusanagi (a possible replica of which is now in Atsuta Shrine, Nagoya).

The first two were made to lure Amaterasu out of Amano-Iwato. The last was found in the Orochi, an eight-headed hydra. Of these three, the mirror is the token of Amaterasu. The three together constitute the Imperial Regalia of Japan. Magatama Magatama(Japanese: 勾玉), are curved beads which first appeared in Japan during the Jomon period. ... For other senses of this word, see necklace (disambiguation). ... Magatama Magatama(Japanese: 勾玉), are curved beads which first appeared in Japan during the Jomon period. ... Panorama of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo Map of the Imperial Palace and surrounding Gardens Nijubashi Bridge at the Imperial Palace. ... This article is about the metal alloy. ... A mirror, reflecting a vase. ... Yata No Kagami ) the sacred mirror, is part of the Imperial Regalia of Japan. ... Ise Shrine (Ise-jingū 伊勢神宮; alternately Grand Shrines of Ise or Ise Daijingū 伊勢大神宮) is a shrine to Shinto goddess Amaterasu ōmikami, located in the city of Ise in Mie prefecture, Japan. ... Swiss longsword, 15th or 16th century Look up Sword in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For other uses, see Kusanagi (disambiguation). ... Atsuta Shrine Atsuta Shrine ) is a Japanese Shinto shrine in Atsuta-ku, Nagoya. ... Nagoya ) is the fourth largest city in Japan. ... Literaly The cave of the sun god of heavenly rock cave Susanowo, the Japanese god of the seas, was the one who drove Amaterasu into Amano-Iwato. ... Susanoo slaying the Yamata no Orochi, by Chikanobu Toyohara This article is about the Japanese mythological creature. ... For other uses, see Hydra. ... The Imperial Regalia of Japan ), also known as the Three Sacred Treasures, consist of the sword, Kusanagi (草薙劍), the jewel or necklace of jewels, Yasakani no magatama (八尺瓊曲玉), and the mirror Yata no kagami (八咫鏡). Also known as the Three Sacred Treasures of Japan, the regalia represent the three primary virtues: valor (the...

Ninigi and his company went down to the earth and came to Himuka, there he founded his palace.

Prosperity and eternity

Ninigi met the Princess Konohana-sakuya (symbol of flowers), the daughter of Yamatumi (master of mountains), and they fell in love. Ninigi asked Yamatumi for his daughter's hand. The father was delighted and offered both of his daughters, Iwanaga (symbol of rocks) and Sakuya (symbol of flowers). But Ninigi married only Sakuya and refused Iwanaga.

"Iwanaga is blessed with eternity and Sakuya with prosperity", Yamatumi said in regret, "by refusing Iwanaga, your life will be brief from now on." Because of this, Ninigi and his descendants became mortal.

Sakuya conceived by a night and Ninigi doubted her. To prove legitimacy of her children, Sakuya swore by her luck and took a chance; she set fire to her room when she had given birth to her three babies. By this, Ninigi knew her chastity. The names of the children were Hoderi, Hosuseri, and Howori.

Ebb and flow

Hoderi lived by fishing in sea while his brother Hooori lived by hunting in mountains. One day, Hooori asked his brother to swap places for a day. Hooori tried fishing, but he could not get a catch, and what was worse, he lost the fishhook he borrowed from his brother. Hoderi relentlessly accused his brother and did not accept his brother's apology.

While Hooori was sitting on a beach, sorely perplexed, Shihotuti told him to ride on a ship called the Manasikatuma and go wherever the current went. Following this advice, Hooori reached the house of Watatumi (master of seas). There he met Toyotama, Watatumi's daughter, and married with her. After three years of marriage, he remembered his brother and his fishhook, then told Watatumi about it.

Watatumi soon found the fishhook in the throat of a bream and handed it to Hooori. Watatumi also gave him two magical balls, Sihomitutama, which could cause a flood, and Sihohirutama, which could cause an ebb, and sent him off, along with his bride, to land.

As Toyotama was giving birth, she asked Hooori not to look at her delivery. However, Hooori, filled with curiosity, peeped in, and saw her transforming into a shark at the moment his son, Ugaya, was born. Aware of this, Toyotama disappeared into sea and did not return, but she entrusted her sister Tamayori with her yearning for Hooori.

Ugaya married his aunt Tamayori and had five children, including Ituse and Yamatobiko.

Legends (23-)

First Emperor

The first legendary emperor of Japan is Iwarebiko, posthumous alias Emperor Jimmu. He established the throne in 660 BCE. His pedigree is summarized as follows. Meiji era print of Emperor Jimmu Emperor Jimmu (神武天皇 Jinmu Tennō; also known as: Kamuyamato Iwarebiko; given name: Wakamikenu no Mikoto or Sano no Mikoto, born according to legend on January 1, 711 BC, and died, again according to legend, on March 11, 585 BC,[citation needed] was the mythical founder...

• Iwarebiko is a son of Ugaya and Tamayori.
• Ugaya is a son of Howori and Toyotama.
• Howori is a son of Ninigi and Sakuya.
• Ninigi is a son of Osihomimi and Akidusi.
• Osihomimi is born from an ornament of Amaterasu.
• Amaterasu is born from the left eye of Izanagi.
• Izanagi is born of his own accord.

Conquest of the east (23-26)

Yamato Takeru (44-48)

Yamato Takeru subjugates Kumaso Takeru. ...

See also

• Japanese folklore
• Shinto
• Kami

Japanese folklore is the folklore of Japan. ... Shinto ) is the native religion of Japan and was once its state religion. ... “Megami” redirects here. ...

External links

• Kojiki, Records of Ancient Matters: Yamato-Takeru Slays the Kumaso Brothers
• Romance stories from old Japan, pre-1919 Free to read and full text search.
• Mukashibanashi Library A resource including a wide variety of Japanese folktales and other folklore.
• A Multilingual Electronic Text Collection of Folk Tales for Casual Users Using Off-the-Shelf Browsers